Write This Way

Write This Way to Canterbury
Presented by Laura Cipriano, Neshannock Township School District, New Castle, PA
*Adapted from a lesson found on PDE SAS. This unit blends the standards for Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking (English 12) and the standards for Career Education and Work (in our district, this is the Guidance Department's responsibility).

Actual Class Wiki

Canterbury Application Pilgrimage to Canterbury Application.docx - created and uploaded IN class with students, teacher, and Guidance counselor (who reinforces items found on college/job applications)
SCORING RUBRIC for GROUP WIKIPAGE: Write This Way Rubric.pdf
FCAs for Individual Assignments (Email, Resume, Exit Paper): Write This Way to Canterbury FCAs.docx



Objectives

• Students will use a traditional work of literature as the basis for workplace writing.
• Students will complete applications, write a resume, and develop an exit paper. The resume and exit paper will be used toward Neshannock Township School District's required graduation project.
• Students will create a wikipage.

Activities
After reading and discussing “The Prologue,” and “The Pardoner's Tale,” students are provided with the following situation: “You own and operate a travel agency that is offering an escorted trip to Canterbury, England. Many people have contacted you about making reservations. The number of travelers must be limited, and the participants will be selected on the basis of submitted applications.”

• Students determine the criteria for selecting participants for the trip and create an application form that all interested travelers will use.
• Each student uses information from The Canterbury Tales to complete an application for an assigned traveler identified in the reading.
• For the email component, the teacher presents the students with the following situation: “The pilgrim would like to update his/her employer and share information about the trip.” The email must be written using proper, professional, business letter conventions and use details from The Tales (see FCAs).
• Students work in teams to create a wikipage for their selected pilgrims from The Canterbury Tales (see rubric).
• The site should have basic information about the travelers, using textual support from The Canterbury Tales, and should include:
  • The travelers' (assigned pilgrims') completed application (from above)
  • A description of each traveler with pictures and graphics (compile a bibliography of sources used)
  • The e-mail messages from the travelers to their employers

Students work individually to write their personal resumes, applying information from the application exercise.

• Students will write their exit papers for their graduation projects. In the essay, they will discuss high school experiences, college, career, and personal goals (see FCAs for resume and paper).

PA Standards
Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking:
1.4.11.B:
Write complex informational pieces (e.g. reviews, research papers, instructions, essays, articles)

• Apply purpose / audience appropriate methods to develop the thesis of the piece.
• Use discipline specific vocabulary, precise language, and relevant detail.
• Use relevant graphics (e.g. maps, charts, graphs, tables, illustrations, photographs).
• Evaluate the validity and significance of primary and secondary sources as related to the thesis.

//Pennsylvania Academic Standards for Career Education and Work//
Technology Integration

• Wikispaces or other web page creator
• Digital Portfolio (if available)
• MS Office Word Resume Wizard
• Email program

Student Samples:
Pilgrimage to Canterbury Application
the miller-

external image 200px-Miller-Chaucer.gif

Name: Robyn

Occupation: The Miller

Age: Early to late 50`s Personality Type: Choleric

Reason for the Journey: I have never traveled and would like to see what is out there

What skills do you possess that make you an asset on this trip? Strong and muscular and can heave any door off hinge and post.

Physical Limitations/Disabilities/Medical Conditions that may affect your ability to travel: N/A

Criminal history? If yes, explain. Have been convicted of taking three times my due of grain.

Social Class/Rank: An important person, ranking third in power after the lord of the manor and the parish priest, as people are dependent on me for bread

What do you plan to bring/wear on the trip? I plan to wear a hood of blue and a white coat. I also plan to bring bagpipes which I enjoy playing!

What prior travel experience do you possess? No prior travel expierence

What other information would you like us to consider? I will be able to help with heavy lifting and I am able to make bread which would be an asset to the pilgrimage.



Email:

28 October 2010

To whom it may concern:

I am writing to let you know that I have not yet reached Canterbury. Along the way, I’ve met many interesting people and won many wrestling matches among my new friends. I’m unsure of how long it will take me to complete this voyage and am asking for a leave of absence until I return.

I should be considered for this request because this voyage will teach me many things and it will benefit our company. On the journey I am hoping to learn how to make new different varieties of bread and grain which would be beneficial to our community. I am hoping that I can learn some new stories so I can stop telling you guys the same stories that you`re used to hearing from me. I feel like this journey would be best for me to go on this voyage as recently I have been tempted to take more grain than my share which will only land me in trouble so time away would be beneficial to everyone.

In conclusion, I should be allowed to partake in this leave of absence; it will be beneficial to the community because I will learn new skills and they will be beneficial to everyone around me especially to the company.

Sincerely,

Robyn (the Miller)